Canadian health environment group supports Community Right to Know Act

“Legislation to require labelling of carcinogens in household products should be the first step governments take to protect people from exposure to toxic chemicals,” says Mae Burrows, executive director of the Labour Environmental Alliance Society (LEAS). “Its difficult to prevent cancer when you don’t know what you’re being exposed to - Canadians need the right to know what is in the products they use.”

LEAS has conducted product inventories/substitution projects in several Canadian school districts, finding hormone and endocrine disrupting chemicals in cleaning products used in schools, as well as known human carcinogens. “We are extremely concerned that Canadian children are accidentally being exposed to these toxins,” says LEAS research director Sean Griffin. “Ingredient and hazard labelling for consumer products, along with an expedited review of potentially toxic chemicals under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, would help protect our children.”

LEAS is currently working on a larger audit of all toxic chemicals in schools such as: lead in water pipes, asbestos, mercury, formaldehyde, pesticides, solvents and other products in science, tech ed and art rooms, among other chemicals. The non-profit society examines the material safety data sheets for various products and has identified toxins such as: phthalates, NTA, formaldehyde, 2-butoxyethanol, ethoxylated nonyl phenol, PBDEs and silicia in everyday household products used in Canadian homes.

LEAS has distributed more than 20,000 copies of its popular CancerSmart Guide, which promotes safer alternatives to toxic cleaning and household products and garden pesticides.

For more information visit our website at www.leas.ca

Or contact:

Mae Burrows, LEAS executive director at 604-526-1956

Sean Griffin, LEAS research director at 604-254-9412